Classic SeaCraft Community

Classic SeaCraft Community (http://www.classicseacraft.com/community/index.php)
-   General (http://www.classicseacraft.com/community/forumdisplay.php?f=4)
-   -   Can't sleep... (http://www.classicseacraft.com/community/showthread.php?t=21883)

TooFly 08-03-2010 04:28 AM

Can't sleep...
 
Hi all,

What a great site! I'm hoping to learn lots, especially if I decide to buy this 70's Potter 20'er today.

I have virtually no woodworking or serious fiberglass experience, but I may be able to get some help with all that.

The boat I'm looking to get had its transom replaced with a full one over a decade ago. It's got a Gil bracket, which has a small mounting footprint (IMHO), and a few other additions. On the bracket is a practically new 150 E-Tec. I took it for a spin today and liked its soft ride. However, the stern seems to sit low and quite a bit of water pools in the boat, which leads me to my next fear. The corner drains in the stern of this boat lead through the bottom of the hull. Looking through the bottom of the boat freaked me out a bit. I understand that's how some boats were built back in the day. But it's new to me and will take a little getting used to.

There appear to be some stress cracks where the closed transom was filled in. I don't know if these are a sign of problems to come or not, but I'd like to find out sooner rather than later. The outboard also sits very low while underway. Actually, the turbulence practically hits the base of the cowling. Is that a concern? I am thinking that if I buy this boat, I'd also like to open up the splash well and add scuppers that drain out the transom to alleviate the pooling water in the stern area. Hydraulic trim tabs would be nice, too.

Is it a bad idea to close off the drains in the corners by the transom? This is the main source of the intruding water. Again, I understand that is part of the original design, but I'd like to change that if possible.

Thanks for having me.

Regards,
Paul

Capt Chuck 08-03-2010 07:18 AM

Re: Can't sleep...
 
Welcome Toofly to CSC

***BE ADVISED*** Many more sleepless nights are your Destiny!

Use the Search function and read the hundreds of previous threads referencing your questions. Many pages of explicit boat porn await you with step by step how to's :cool:

Enjoy

Capt Chuck

TooFly 08-03-2010 10:11 AM

Re: Can't sleep...
 
Thanks, Cappy!

I'll be sure to use the search button. I suppose I was looking for some quick reassurance with regard to buying this boat. ;) I have to act fast or take back my deposit. As is, it appears to be a sound hull. I just hope the transom doesn't rip off. :cool: It's a fast boat with the 150 on it and it's got great hole shot.

Here are some quick pics I snapped with my iPhone:

Does the E-Tec look too low in the water?

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v2...d/ddc307f6.jpg

I'm not sure why the transom isn't the same thickness all the way?

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v2...d/04bf9621.jpg

Stress cracks?

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v2...d/c978b216.jpg

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v2...d/9d5b2685.jpg

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v2...d/4862836b.jpg

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v2...d/4e748ea7.jpg

The port aft storage compartment has a little water in it. I was told
it's rain water. The well beneath the leaning post has a crack in it. Because it's the liner, I was told it should not be a concern. ???

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v2...d/60a90ab5.jpg

Blue197320 08-03-2010 06:25 PM

Re: Can't sleep...
 
the motor does not look low to me. there should be a weep hole in the stringer to get that water to drain into the bilge.
i would say go for the boat. does not look to be in too bad of shape. use it like it is till you want to change it around.

Bushwacker 08-03-2010 07:06 PM

Re: Can't sleep...
 
Don't know what they're asking for that boat, but I'd be inclined to deduct the price of replacing the bracket with a Hermco bracket before I bought it, as that would fix most of the issues's you've described!

That bracket doesn't provide much flotation, which you need when you hang a relatively heavy motor that far back off the transom. (These boats were designed for a motor of approximately 300 lbs hanging on the transom!) It also doesn't distribute the engine load across the full width of the transom like it would if it had a swim platform on it, which may explain some of the cracks. However if that's gelcoat, they may be just cosmetic, particularly if the gel coat is very thick. It's so brittle that it doesn't take much stress to crack it. Also don't know why someone would go to the trouble to fill in a transom and not make it full thickness in the area of the most stress!

Check out Capt. Loyd's bracket fix. He had a similar low flotation bracket with an engine of almost identical weight, and he did a lot of work to correct the self bailing and submerged motor issues related to it. However the CG of that boat has still been shifted aft quite a bit, and the CC model is already more stern heavy than my Seafari. More flotation won't fix that when you're up on plane and flotation tank is out of the water. I'd check min planning speed, because many stern-heavy boats won't plane below about 20 mph! You may need to add a 4 blade prop and Doelfin like I did to get min planing speed down to 12 mph. Moving batteries and fuel tank forward will also help.

That motor height doesn't look much different than mine, http://i188.photobucket.com/albums/z...tStrnclsup.jpg but the Hermco bracket acts like a big trim tab when you're coming up on plan because it goes down to about 4" above bottom of hull. (It was designed by Bill Potter to fit the SeaCraft hull).
http://i188.photobucket.com/albums/z...shtnwmtr-1.jpg I raised motor 2 holes from where it was mounted in this photo; cavitation plate is 3.5" above keel and it could probably go up a little more, as cavitation/anti-ventillation plate is still slightly under water when on plane.

BTW, my boat will just barely self bail with a full tank of gas and no one in boat. Do a search for the "Vortex" scupper plug check valve that Fellowship invented, which does a good job of keeping deck dry at dock.

NoBones 08-03-2010 10:50 PM

Re: Can't sleep...
 
Welcome Toofly to CSC...
Just my .02¢ worth, that may have been an
I/O that was converted to a bracket...
Maybe some of the crew here that has a 20
I/O may chime in with pics of their rear ends! :eek:

See ya, Ken

Bushwacker 08-03-2010 11:36 PM

Re: Can't sleep...
 
Hey Ken,

I think it was originally an OB version because:

1. It has the recess for the Merc O/B steering drag link aft of port seat.

2. It has the flat surface across the back below the stern seats like my boat. The I/O's had a molded in box that extended forward of the seats.
Denny

BTW, welcome to the site Toofly . . . lots of good SeaCraft info available here!

strick 08-04-2010 03:12 AM

Re: Can't sleep...
 
In your searches you will find that a lot of us have raised the deck of our 20's 2-3 inches in order to make it self bailing.....a little bit of work... but worth it ;)

strick

Blue197320 08-04-2010 08:23 PM

Re: Can't sleep...
 
so what did you decide to do with it??

TooFly 08-09-2010 08:34 PM

Re: Can't sleep...
 
Quote:

the motor does not look low to me. there should be a weep hole in the stringer to get that water to drain into the bilge.
i would say go for the boat. does not look to be in too bad of shape. use it like it is till you want to change it around.

Thanks, Blue. I will check that out.

"Go for the boat," you say? ;)

TooFly 08-09-2010 09:11 PM

Re: Can't sleep...
 
Quote:

Don't know what they're asking for that boat, but I'd be inclined to deduct the price of replacing the bracket with a Hermco bracket before I bought it, as that would fix most of the issues's you've described!

That bracket doesn't provide much flotation, which you need when you hang a relatively heavy motor that far back off the transom. (These boats were designed for a motor of approximately 300 lbs hanging on the transom!) It also doesn't distribute the engine load across the full width of the transom like it would if it had a swim platform on it, which may explain some of the cracks. However if that's gelcoat, they may be just cosmetic, particularly if the gel coat is very thick. It's so brittle that it doesn't take much stress to crack it. Also don't know why someone would go to the trouble to fill in a transom and not make it full thickness in the area of the most stress!

Check out Capt. Loyd's bracket fix. He had a similar low flotation bracket with an engine of almost identical weight, and he did a lot of work to correct the self bailing and submerged motor issues related to it. However the CG of that boat has still been shifted aft quite a bit, and the CC model is already more stern heavy than my Seafari. More flotation won't fix that when you're up on plane and flotation tank is out of the water. I'd check min planning speed, because many stern-heavy boats won't plane below about 20 mph! You may need to add a 4 blade prop and Doelfin like I did to get min planing speed down to 12 mph. Moving batteries and fuel tank forward will also help.

That motor height doesn't look much different than mine, http://i188.photobucket.com/albums/z...tStrnclsup.jpg but the Hermco bracket acts like a big trim tab when you're coming up on plan because it goes down to about 4" above bottom of hull. (It was designed by Bill Potter to fit the SeaCraft hull).
http://i188.photobucket.com/albums/z...shtnwmtr-1.jpg I raised motor 2 holes from where it was mounted in this photo; cavitation plate is 3.5" above keel and it could probably go up a little more, as cavitation/anti-ventillation plate is still slightly under water when on plane.

BTW, my boat will just barely self bail with a full tank of gas and no one in boat. Do a search for the "Vortex" scupper plug check valve that Fellowship invented, which does a good job of keeping deck dry at dock.

HA HA HA. Capt. Lloyd's thread was an entertaining one. I especially like that y'all can rib each other without the fear of hissy fits. :D

The boat has a new-ish 53 gallon aluminum fuel tank in the original spot. There's not much I can do about that now. I will, however, look into a 4 blade prop, the Doelfin and I'll move the batteries as far forward as they can go in the console.

First, I need to run the boat to see where things stand. It'll be a fun project over this winter.

Thanks!

TooFly 08-09-2010 09:13 PM

Re: Can't sleep...
 
Quote:

Welcome Toofly to CSC...
Just my .02¢ worth, that may have been an
I/O that was converted to a bracket...
Maybe some of the crew here that has a 20
I/O may chime in with pics of their rear ends! :eek:

See ya, Ken

Thanks for the welcome, bro! Yeah, this boat, as far as I can tell, has always been an outboard model.

TooFly 08-09-2010 09:17 PM

Re: Can't sleep...
 
Quote:

In your searches you will find that a lot of us have raised the deck of our 20's 2-3 inches in order to make it self bailing.....a little bit of work... but worth it ;)

strick

Geez, 2-3"? That sounds like a good deal of work. Do you accomplish that by simply adding plywood and glassing it?

TooFly 08-09-2010 09:24 PM

Re: Can't sleep...
 
Quote:

so what did you decide to do with it??

Meh...
















































I bought'idit.

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v2...d/06a88ae8.jpg

:D

BigLew 08-09-2010 09:55 PM

Re: Can't sleep...
 
Sweetness! Another wet dream on a cold winter night in the making!!

TooFly 08-09-2010 10:49 PM

Re: Can't sleep...
 
Ahhh. A fellow New Englander...

Quote:

Sweetness! Another wet dream on a cold winter night in the making!!

I can't wait 'til wintah! :D

TooFly 08-09-2010 11:06 PM

Re: Can't sleep...
 
Quote:

Do a search for the "Vortex" scupper plug check valve that Fellowship invented, which does a good job of keeping deck dry at dock.

I did an all forums search of "Vortex scupper plug check valve" with/without "Fellowship" and found nothing. :D

Bushwacker 08-10-2010 12:03 AM

Re: Can't sleep...
 
Quote:


I did an all forums search of "Vortex scupper plug check valve" with/without "Fellowship" and found nothing. :D

Here's the Vortex thread ! I've found that they work best if you use the fingers from a nitrile glove, which is much tougher than vinyl.

BigLew 08-10-2010 12:32 AM

Re: Can't sleep...
 
Hey Fly,

I'm N. Shore as well. You'll probably recognize the spot as West "Blueberry", immdiately west of Newburyport! How about you?

TooFly 08-10-2010 12:36 AM

Re: Can't sleep...
 
Quote:

Quote:


I did an all forums search of "Vortex scupper plug check valve" with/without "Fellowship" and found nothing. :D

Here's the Vortex thread ! I've found that they work best if you use the fingers from a nitrile glove, which is much tougher than vinyl.

Thank you, sir.

Ah yes. The fingers from a nitrile glove... I find they work well. Hmmm.

For their intended use, of course! :eek:

:o

TooFly 08-10-2010 12:41 AM

Re: Can't sleep...
 
Quote:

Hey Fly,

I'm N. Shore as well. You'll probably recognize the spot as West "Blueberry", immdiately west of Newburyport! How about you?

I'm in Lynn. A nice section of Lynn! Ah hem... AKA "The Diamond District." ;) I'm near the boardwalk by Red Rock, actually.

Do you fish?

BigLew 08-10-2010 12:52 AM

Re: Can't sleep...
 
When the boat is in the water or I can get a lift. The boat has benn out during a job search that has gone on for too long! Ready to get back in the game.

TooFly 08-10-2010 01:14 AM

Re: Can't sleep...
 
Quote:

When the boat is in the water or I can get a lift. The boat has benn out during a job search that has gone on for too long! Ready to get back in the game.

I hear ya. My brother is in the same boat, looking for a job. No pun intended. :( I wonder if we know some of the same people? Are you on RT?

BigLew 08-10-2010 01:25 AM

Re: Can't sleep...
 
[QUOTE]
Quote:

Are you on RT?

Is RT, Repiratory Therapy? Not exactly. I've spent 20+ yrs. in Medical device and systems sales and sales management. Gotten pretty decent results, too.

And you?

TooFly 08-10-2010 01:45 AM

Re: Can't sleep...
 
[QUOTE]
Quote:

Quote:

Are you on RT?

Is RT, Repiratory Therapy? Not exactly. I've spent 20+ yrs. in Medical device and systems sales and sales management. Gotten pretty decent results, too.

And you?

I work with family and have since age 9.

"RT," is short for Reel-Time (.com). It's a fishing forum. Though, I don't frequent the fishing forums much these days.


All times are GMT -4. The time now is 03:32 PM.

Powered by vBulletin® Version 3.8.7
Copyright ©2000 - 2025, vBulletin Solutions, Inc.
All original content © 2003-2013 ClassicSeacraft